Men's Water Polo Defeats Mountaineers

EMMITSBURG, Md. - Bucknell men's water polo defeated Mount St. Mary's 15-13 in a Friday night MAWPC game. The teams evenly matched up, battling throughout the entire game. However, the Mountaineers could never entirely earn themselves the lead.

Bucknell went on a 4-2 run in the first quarter. Sophomore attacker Aleksa Stefanovic wasted no time for the Bison, notching his first goal of the game with 7:42 on the clock. Junior attacker Shay Gillearn wanted in on the action, ripping a shot on the net and successfully finding the back of the goal to extend the lead to 2-0. Freshman goalkeeper David Dimitru challenged the Mountaineers, allowing Bucknell to control a three-goal lead with a minute left in the quarter.

Stefanovic earned possession off the sprint for the Bison to control the first play, allowing the team to move the ball around successfully, but after a 5-meter shot obtained by the Mountaineers, the score was tied at 4-4.

Bucknell answered back shortly after with two successful plays on the net by Gillearn and junior center Matt Ryckman to earn the Bison a lead once again. The score at the end of the half showed 7-6 Bison.

Jack Bruce notched his first goal at the start of the second half to secure Bucknell a two-goal lead. Junior center defender Hasan Mogultay stepped up for the Bison when he worked the ball around and rocketed a shot into the back of the net with 5:12 on the clock. Bucknell went unanswered for nearly three minutes, notching three back-to-back goals. Gillearn collected his fifth of six goals with a skip shot that found its way past the Mountaineers goalie and into the net.

Mogultay scored two more goals for Bucknell to extend and hold its lead for the remainder of the play.

The Bison return home for two games on Saturday and another on Sunday. They host George Washington at 11 a.m. and Wagner at 7 p.m. on Saturday, and then No. 19 Navy comes to Kinney Natatorium on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Jack Bruce

Shay Gillearn

Hasan Mogultay

Matt Ryckman

Aleksa Stefanovic